Elevating mechanism for guns



DSC. 9

B. P. JOYCE ELEVATING MECHANISM FOR GUNS Filed Sept. l3, 1922 f1.7? #Tage e Patented Bec. 9, 1924.

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ELEVATING MEcHANrsivi ron GUNS.

Application filed September 13, 1922. rSeria] No. 5897,98?.-

(FILED UN'DER THE ACT 0F MARCH 3, 1883, 22 STAT, L., 625.)

To all whom t may concern:

ABe it known that I, BRYAN P. Joran, a citizen oi' the United States, and a resident ot Davenport, county of Scott, and State of Iowa, have invented an Improvement in Elevating Mechanism for Guns, of which the following is a specitication.

The invention described herein may be used by the Government, or any of its otlicers or employees in prosecution of work for the Government, or by any other person 1n the United States, without payment to me of any royalty thereon, in accordance with the act of March 3, 1883.

The subject of this invention is an elevating mechanism for guns.

In modern ordnance practice it has become necessary that guns be so mounted that they are susceptible of high angles of elevation 2c and, lto render this possible, it is essential that Cil the pivot point of the gun, that is, its trun? nions, be moved to aposition near the breech. This change in the position of the pivot point of the gun unbalances the gun, throwing its center ot gravity well forward of the pivot point Vand thus increasing the diliculty Voi raising and lowering the gun when it is desired to elevate the same or restore itto normal horizontal position.

gun is brought it is often diiiicult to insert a round of ammunition into the breech without restoring the gun to normal horizontal position and it consequently becomes yf. necessary that the elevating mechanism should provide for a 'quick return and that meansshould be furnished for again setting the gun to the same elevation.

The present invention has been devised to i accomplish the above mentioned objects and these objects are conveniently attained by providing fluid pressure actuated mechanism in which the fluid pressure is normally just suthcient to allow the gun-to assume its horizontal position and to which additional pressure may be supplied to elevate the gun and from which fluid may be readily drawn to establish normal pressure and restore the gun to horizontal position.

The invention is further designed to provide means for limiting the elevation to the position desired, such means being preferably set by the adjustment of the sight.

With these and other objects in view, my

Because of the high elevation to which the invention resides in the'novel arrangement and combination of parts andin the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, itbeing understood that changes in the precise embodiment of theinvention herein disclosed mayl be made y*within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit ot the invention.

A practical'embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein: l

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of an elevating mechanism"constructed in accordance with my invention, sulicie'nt of the gun and carriage being shown to illustrate the connectionand operation ofthe parts;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. 'p

.Referring to the'drawin'g by numerals of reference:

I provide a gun carriage having side beams 10 in which are journaled the trunnions `11 of the gun 12 mounted in the cradle 13. Trunnioned at 14 'between the beams 10 is a cylinder 15 formed with an inner cylinder 16 communicating through ports 17 Vwith the chamber 18 delined by the walls of the inner and outer cylinders. y The chamber 18 is in communication.through a port 19 with a low pressure container 20, communication therewith` being controlled through a valve operated by a hand wheel 21, and also in communication through a port 22'with a'high pressure container 23 communication with which Vis likewise controlled by a valve having a hand wheel 24. |The containers and 23 are in communication through pipes 25 and 26, respectively, with a-compressor, not shown, contained in the compartment 27 formed in the carriage and having a rest 28 for the gun rising therefrom.

Any suitable compressor now on the market designed to automatically maintain a constant pressure in the high pressure container may be used land the same may be run by electric, gas or other motor as desired.

In the cylinder 16 is mounted ior reciprocation a piston 29 provided with'a piston rod 30, the outer end of which has pivotal connection, as at 31, with an arm 32 formed on and depending from the cradle 13 and having laterally extending arms orv stops 33 which contact the edges or rockers 34, loose on the trunnions 11 and formed with segmental gears ymeshing with'kpin ions 36 mounted oii a shaft-37 which is journaled in and extends transversely of the carriage.

The rockers are connected to the sight adljusting mechanism and are rocked rthrough rotation 'of the pinions vwhich rotation may be brought about by any suitable means, such as gearing.

AIii-practice the device operates in the following manner: Y

The low pressure container 2 and chainberfv18 are filledv with luid'under'pressure, the

pressure being suliicient to, permit counterbalancingfthe gun to'assume its horizontalH position. e Toele'vate the `the hand wheel 24 is turned to open its valve and theliand wheel 21 turned Yto close its valve. Fluid fromtthe high pressure container 23 will tlien'low into the chamber 18 through ports" 17 and ,force piston 29 forwardly. Atv the same time the j automatic compressor will,v start up tol maintain a constant pressure in the container 23, thereby withdrawing fluid from, container 20:and forcing itintocon tainer 23,*"thus bringing the pressure; in

container 23 andA chamber 18'to the" normal pressure for. chamber 23. The forward movement ofthe piston 29 will, through rod arteria' Shot is fired the, handwheei elias' e turnedltoclose its valve and hand, wheel'2l turned to open its valve',' thus?v establishing: communication between cliamber, 18v and the low pressure container into which fluidi will flowy untilnorinal pressu'reisY restored which will cause the gun to lrapidly-y assume nerinal position under the force of gravity, i'n which position., it maybe loaded.

Aswilll--Lbe understood from lthe foregoing a loweringVv of the gun does ynot disturb the rockers v341 and, the sight being Set at the desired position,vthe gun may be again elevated and will be stopped at the proper point bykv theconta'cting arms 33 again engaging the rockers.

"I claimt' l. The combination with a gun carriage,

'a cradle trunnioned" therein and a gun mounted in the cradle, of an larm depending from the; cradle, a cylinder; tr'unnioned vthecarriaggda piston reciprocable in the cylinder, apistonrod carried by the piston andrp'ivotally' connected to the arm, aliigh pressure container and a low pressure' con taiiier'lb'o'tli communicable with the cylinder,

means -itoi inaii'itaiiiiiig rconstant pressure iii the highfpr'ess'u're container, rockers' loos'eon tlietrunnions,'meansfor moving the roek-V ersto desired positions and means carried by the' armto 'contact the rockers and'lo'cate" the gun at proper elevation. e,

"2. The' combination'with a" gun-carriage", av cradle trunnioned therein and' a 'uh mounted'in the cradle, of'an arm' depenrv ng from the cradle, a cylinder tiunnin'ediii' the carriagdja piston i'ecipr'ocable'in'-tlie cylinder, a piston' rod carried' by the piston" hav#Y ing',apivotalconne'etion with the afrmya high pressure containerand a low pressurefcon tain'er botlicon'iniunieable with the fcylinder, means for"inaintaining constant pressure iii the high pressure container and nieians for liiii'it'iiig the elevation of the gun.v

3. The combinationdof a'gun carriageand a erradletrunnfionevd in the carriage, of an ari'n dependihgvfiom ythev cradle, fluid sure actuated means trunnioned in' the cair-V e riage for elevatingfand loweringtliecradle,

ajconnedtionfbetween said: means andthe f arm, roclier'sjloose onV the cradle trunnions, niejaiisforirocking therockers to desiredpo- A sitio'ns and" means carriedI by the' cradle' enjgageablevr with', tlief rockers for limiting the elevation "oftliecradlep BRYAN P. JOYCE; 

